At the Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees the stages are the bridges between languages, communities and cultures. Several of the productions on the 2025 programme are in English, and a few are performed in both Afrikaans and English for those bilingual theatre lovers. Here are our top English production picks for the Spier Theatre programme at Woordfees 2025.
English Productions at Woordfees 2025
Bridling
South African writer, novelist, playwright and screenwriter Nadia Davids’ works have been performed all over the world. With Bridling, Jay Pather brings her short story of the same name to the stage in an exquisite multi-disciplinary work that weaves together images, text, movement and voice that creates a multi-dimensional audience experience.
Caine Prize judges called Davids’ work “a triumph of language, storytelling and risk-taking’ and together Pather, Buhle Ngaba and Shaun Oelf add a stunning visual element that makes this production a must-see at the festival.
Cost: R200. Tickets available on Quicket.
When: 13, 14, 16, 18 and 19 October 2025 | 13 Oct: 1pm | 14 Oct: 8pm | 16 Oct: 5pm | 18 Oct: 8.30pm | 19 Oct: 3.30pm
Where: HMS Bloemhof-skoolsaal, Koch Rd, Krigeville, Stellenbosch
The Ugly Noo Noo
The Ugly Noo Noo is a one-person play by Andrew Buckland, one of South Africa’s most beloved performers. Buckland first performed The Ugly Noo Noo in the 1980s. This sharply satirical story about a man who meets the infamous Parktown Prawn has lost none of its relevance and biting acuity as it explores the relationship between fear, power and everyday life.
Cost: R180 – R300. Tickets available on Quicket.
When: 11 – 13 October 2025 | 11 Oct: 5pm | 12 Oct: 1.30pm | 13 Oct: 4pm
Where: Adam Small Auditorium, 15 Victoria St, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch
The Moon Looks Delicious from Here
Aldo Brincat is a first-generation South African born in the 1960s. The Moon Looks Delicious from Here is a one-man, theatrical tour de force that uncompromisingly tackles topics of identity, heritage and sexuality as experienced by Aldo growing up in the apartheid years.
Cost: R200. Tickets available on Quicket.
When: 11, 15 and 17 October 2025 | 11 Oct: 8pm | 15 Oct: 4pm | 17 Oct: 12.30pm
Where: HMS Bloemhof-skoolsaal, Koch Rd, Krigeville, Stellenbosch
An Apprenticeship with Sorrow
An Apprenticeship with Sorrow, performed by Sarah Matchett and Nina Callaghan is a moving and beautiful exploration of grief, loss and the ways in which human and ecological systems are inextricably connected. Performed on a stage strewn with the debris that clutters every life, Sarah and Nina take the audience on a journey of beauty and feeling as they unfold what it means to come to terms with grief.
Cost: R180. Tickets available on Quicket.
When: 11 – 13 October 2025 | 11 Oct: 5pm | 12 Oct: 3pm | 13 Oct: 8pm
Where: HMS Bloemhof-skoolsaal, Koch Rd, Krigeville, Stellenbosch
My Name is Lucy Barton
In My Name is Lucy Barton, the solo play adapted from the bestselling novel by Pulitzer Prize Winner Elizabeth Strout, Lucy wakes up after an operation to find her mother, whom she has not seen for years, in the room. During their visit, which takes place over several days, Lucy comes to terms with her past, her family and most importantly herself.
Bruce Dennhill in his review called Julie-Anne MacDowell’s performance as Lucy “one of the best you’re likely to see in a dramatic role of this kind… (she) leaps into the role with fearsome, breathtaking commitment that holds the audience’s attention throughout a rollercoaster of demanding storytelling.”
Cost: R200 – R250. Tickets available on Quicket.
When: 11 – 13 October 2025 | 11 Oct: 10am | 12 Oct: 8pm | 13 Oct: 1pm
Where: Spier Ouditorium, R310 Baden Powell Dr, Stellenbosch
The Fugue of Tjebolang
The Fugue of Tjebolang is a tale excerpted from the Serat Centhini, the great Javanese literary epic tale written in verses intended for chanting. Rehana Abrahams, director of this fascinating work, calls the story a queer Islamic epic that is erotic and incorporates dance, an immersive musical score and visual projections to send audiences on a magical, playfully erotic journey with a strong spiritual core.
The tale has echoes of that of the prodigal son – a wayward young man who leaves to experience the world and eventually returns home requesting forgiveness.
Cost: R180. Tickets available on Quicket.
When: 16 – 19 October 2025 | 16 Oct: 7pm | 17 Oct: 11am | 18 Oct: 3.30pm and 6.30pm | 19 Oct: 4pm
Where: Adam Small-laboratorium (B), 15 Victoria St, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch
Afrikaans & English Theatre Highlights
In die naam van vrede / In the Name of Peace
In die naam van vrede / In the Name of Peace is a reflection on life, history, the past, the present and the future led by poet, writer, performer and storyteller Diana Ferrus and Martine Zeeman. Through words, music and movement, performers and students from the Stellenbosch University Drama Department encourage audience members to contemplate the arts and how it influences their lives.
Cost: R150 – R200. Tickets available on Quicket.
When: 14 October 2025 | 11am
Where: Fismer, JS Marais, Victoria St, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch
Moffie
André Carl van der Merwe’s book, Moffie, was published in 2006. This searing account of a young gay man’s experiences of conscription has been made into an acclaimed feature film, an award-winning contemporary dance work, and now a one-person stage play that debuted in London in 2024.
The production stars David Viviers and tells the story through a single actor. One voice. One body. One man and his memories. A witness to the presence of history.
Cost: R180 – R280. Tickets available on Quicket.
When: 12, 13, 15, 17 and 18 October 2025 | 12 Oct: 9.30am | 13 Oct: 8.30pm | 15 Oct: 10am | 17 Oct: 1.30pm | 18 Oct: 1pm
Where: Renish Girls’ High, 10 Koch Rd, Krigeville, Stellenbosch
Die een wat bly
Die een wat bly is a theatrical dance experience that uses both English and Afrikaans but is predominantly a dance production. This work about the relationship between a mother and her son and the ways in which loss affects all of us, has played to packed houses and won several awards since its debut in 2024.
Figure of 8 Dance Company has collaborated with exceptional South African artists such as Wessel Pretorius, Natalie Fisher and Daneel van der Walt to bring this viscerally moving performance to the stage.
Cost: R220. Tickets available on Quicket.
When: 15, 16, 18 and 19 October 2025 | 15 Oct: 12 noon | 16 Oct: 1pm | 18 Oct: 4pm | 19 Oct: 1pm
Where: HMS Bloemhof-skoolsaal, Koch Rd, Krigeville, Stellenbosch
Rescue Remedy
No-one has a comfortable relationship with their dad. Rescue Remedy is a queer kid’s hilarious, tragic attempt to meet their forceful father halfway. Literally, on the N2. Relatable highlights from an explosive relationship showcase the love, misunderstanding and rage between father and child, all of which is funny in hindsight.
Rescue Remedy shines a spotlight on queer people in contemporary South Africa, a soldier’s trauma and mental health. Can father and child put their egos aside? Maybe there is hope. Love is reason enough to keep talking.
Cost: R140 – R230. Tickets available on Quicket.
When: 13, 14 and 15 October 2025 | 13 Oct: 6:30pm | 14 Oct: 12 noon | 15 Oct: 17:30pm
Where: Adam Small-laboratorium (A), 15 Victoria St, Stellenbosch Central, Stellenbosch
The Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees takes place from 11 to 19 October this year, and offers something for everyone in terms of art, performance, dance, theatre, music, food and more.
Website: woordfees.co.za
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: 079 256 0398
Facebook: Toyota Stellenbosch Woordfees
Instagram: @woordfees
The English Highlights of Woordfees 2025.
